Honor Guardsmen were among the most skilled of all Sangheili warriors and were hand-picked for the duty of protecting the High Prophets and other high ranking officials in the Covenant High Council. The Lights of Sanghelios were a revered elite unit among the Sangheili Honor Guard.[5]

Honor Guardsmen in service to the Honor Guard of the Covenant wore highly ornate armor, colored in a combination of glowing red and orange. It featured jutting spikes and pauldrons, though they sometimes wore non-ceremonial armor for the sake of practicality.[3][6][7] It is unknown how many Sangheili Honor Guardsmen were in service, though the Sanctum of the Hierarchs on High Charity could accommodate as many as three hundred.[8]

Honor Guardsmen were expected to immediately kill anyone who drew a weapon in the presence of a Hierarch,[9] though they might stand down should an Arbiter do so.[10] In addition, they kept order during important meetings within the High Council. Although the position was a great honor, it was seen by some Sangheili as a merely ceremonial duty and a way to silence those who were aware of the Hierarchs' duplicity.[11][verification needed] Because one was expected to encounter little to no combat in the posting, select Sangheili were known to have even declined a place in the Honor Guard.[3]

In Halo Wars, Sangheili Honor Guardsmen are the leader-specific unit of the Prophet of Regret. They wield energy swords and deal tremendous damage to infantry. They are trained directly from the Citadel. They initially lack energy shields, though they can be upgraded with them. They can also be outfitted with active camouflage.